Mel Gibson was born on the 3rd of January 1956 in Peekskill, New York. At the age of 12 his his parents moved to Sydney after his father received a big amount of money after a work-related-injury lawsuit. Gibson went to the National Institute of Dramatic Art in Sydney and received a classical training in the British-theater tradition. He did various plays in enactments of Romeo and Juliet and A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

He graduated in 1977 and started filming Mad Max while still doing plays. His film debut was in 1977 in SUmmer City. He appeared in various television shows. His first American role was in 1984 in The River. His star really started rising when he played Martin Riggs in Lethal Weapon. He has since starred in many other movies including Bird on a Wire, Hamlet, Maverick, Braveheart (for which he won 2 Oscars, best director and best picture), Ransom, Payback, The Patriot, Chicken Run, What Women Want. He directed several movies as well, including Braveheart, The Passion of the Christ and Apocalypto. Continue reading →